Bumper for automobiles



J. H. IGO.

BUMPER FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED'MAR. :0. 912,0:

Patented Mar. 21 1922- JOSEPE H. 160, or CHICAGO nmon'rs, rumors.

BUM?ER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar, 21, 1922.

Application filed March 10, 1920. Serial No. 364,721.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, Josnrn H. loo, a citizen of the United $tates, residing at Chicago Heights, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bumpers for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bumpers for automobiles,

Automobiles are usually provided with substantially straight bumper bars, some at Y the front, others at the rear, and still others at both ends of the car. These bars on different cars are not always the same height above the roadway with the result that the bars on cars, when colliding end to end, pass each other, either under or above as the case may be, and injure or damage the parts of the car which the bumper bars are designed to rotct. In the case of cars which have their bumper bars substantially the same height above the roadway, or have their bars slightly above or below the bars on cars with which they collide, the bars spring past each other and become interlocked and thus block the traffic until the trouble is overcome, as by jacking up of one car to free its bumper bar from the other.

The object of my invention is to provide abumper device which will avoid these diiiiculties, and such device comprises, in the main, a substantially straight bumper bar, to which are secured two resilient spring members, one adjacent each end of said bar and vertically arranged to have portions extend .ing above and below the bar so to be in )osition to receive the impact of the bum oer bar on the automobile collided with, whether the bumper bar on that car is above or below or in substantially the same plane as the bar on the car equipped with my device, and thus prevent the ham from passing each other and doing injury or damage to the parts of the cars to the rear of the bars, and also prevent the bars from becoming interlocked.

The invention consists'further in the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 is aview of the rear end of an automobile and showing applied thereto, a bumper device constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the bumper device; and

Fig, 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l.

The bumper device, of my invention, comprises asubstantially straight bumper bar 1, horizontally arranged and extending across that end of the car to which it is applied. For said bar, there are two resilient spring members 2, '2, both substantially alike and each made from a strip of spring metal,

preferably flat, and bent to have the shape shown in Fig. 3, thereby providing each spring member with a straight front section 3, curved end sections 4:, and straight rear sections 5, which have their ends bent outward to provide fastening flanges 6. Each spring member 2; is applied to the bumper bar 1 to extend across the same, that is, above and below the bar, this being efi'ected by having the front section 3 extend across the bar on the outside thereof and secured thereto by a bolt 7. The bolt extends through the bar 1, across the spring member 2, and loosely through the rear section 5,and there re'ceives onits threaded end a clamp nut as shown. About the bolt is a coil spring 8, one end bearing against the inside of the bar 1 and the other end against the rear section 5. This spring 8 together with the spring property of the spring member 2 serves to hold apart the front and rear sections of the spring member, and also holds the bar 1 spaced outward from the rearsection of said spring member. Thus when the T bar 1, or the spring members 2, or both, receive an impact, by reason of contact with an object, the parts will yield and absorb the shock.

The fastening flanges 6 of each spring member receive between them the outer end of a bracket arm 9 and are secured thereto by bolts 10. The inner end of the bracket arm is provided with a flange 11, to be engaged i prising a line same plane thcrewith.

'lhese spring members prevent the bumper bars on the colliding cars from parsing; each other and doing injury oi" iizinnige to the parts of the cars bohinrl the bins :H'lll also prevent the bars from ll'lliilfii liiiig with each other. Thus with in; divi e ihcre is no (longer of lhe curs being; illnnfigc l or injured or the bumper hers becoming inlcrlocke l, especially when driving at :1 slow speeil iillll with frequent stops on a crowded roinlwo or hmilemnli to tho rear will ol a min Hlj. (levir-o protects that cm! of lhe car from being: injured or flinmi gc l, in ease: of 11 mllision when parked or i-tuinling slill ulongn curb or in :1 garage or elsewlicre. The spring members i being resilient yield uiuh-r impact with an objecl. and thus prote t the ar from injnrgl by {he force of the impact. This is aided by the coil sprin g- 8. which serves further to lake up these .SllOVlm. 'l'hc bar 1, in being secured to both spring: members 2- serves to lie them togcthcr ainl prevents ilislortionol them out of their proper positions by impact with an object ll'hile l have shown herein the innnyer (lovice of my in 'i'eznion as being applied to the rear coil of nn-zmloinohile, it ii; to be of course nnllcrsloo i that the dell"? could equally as well he applied lo the front of the car will, in fact, to both enilin for "when up; nlicrl lo from: it would prevent the front bumper bar from p: s 15;; over or umle the bumper bar ill the rear end of a car ahead onrl thus prerent interlocking of those bars in case of a. collision, and when applied at the rear of he can would prevent the same clifliculties at l; 25:) end.

I claim as my invention:

1. A bumper {le /ice l'o' automobiles, eomsiii;n-,rh1riliiilly straight horizontal nilnper hm. ucloptoil to extenrl across an enrl of the automobile, two resilient members-i, one udjnoent each end of said bar, and extemlin vertically above and below lilie'same, mien member having substantially parallel from and rear lwllflilfilli; connected together above and below the her, anihbeing in'langed with the from, section extending across the bar on the outside thcroof and secured thereto, and the rear seeliiol'i behiml said bar, and means for. securing the rear sections of said resilient members to the automobile.

2. A: bumper device for automobiles. eomprising 11 substantially straight horizontal bnmpor be! adapt/ail lo extend across an end of the automobile, two nrsilient men'xbers, one adjacent each end of SZilLl bar and extending vertically above and below the same, each member being formed from a strlp of spring metal hem. to have substimlially parallel front and rear sections connected 3. A bmnper device for ziutomobiles, comprising ii substantially straight horizomfsl bumper bar kHlLplfifll to extend across an enrl oi the automobile a. plurality of resilient members scoured to snicl inn and. extending vertically above and below the same ench member having substantially parallel front anal rear sections connected togelher above and below said bar, s coil. spring" interposed between the from anal reel seetions of each of said members and in the same plane as suiihbin'l and. means for securii'ng the bumper (leviee lo the automobile.

4. hnznper device for znllomobiles, com prising a substantially slrziiglit horizontal bumper bariziilsplezl to extend across an enil of the automobile, two resilient members, one wljacenl; each end of said bar and extending vertically above and below the same, each member being: formed from a strip of spring; metal bent to have substantially parallel from and rear sections connected together obovoonil below the bar by curved and lions. and, arranged with the front section ex tending across the bar on the outside tliereof and the 1'1..ll" section lJQll'lIl'Zl said bar, :1. bolt cxtei'nlimg through the bar and ihe from; illl l rem? seclions of each resiliens member, :i coil spring about each bolt and bearing against the bar and the rear section. of the resilient member and a bracket arm secure" to the rear section o-l" each resilient; member for attaching the lnimper device lo the auto mobile.

In testimony that I claim the foregoin as my invention, I affix my signature, this? 8th (lair of March, A. D; 1920.

JOSEPH HJIGO 

